Steel clip for holding coiled hair



May 28, 1963 R. E. DAVIS, sR., ET AL 3,091,247

STEEL CLIP FOR HOLDING COILED HAIR Filed Dec. 14. 1960 INVENTORS ROBERTE. DAVIS SR4 JR.

ROBERT E. DAVIS @vm ,M-

ATTORNEYS United States atent O 3,091,247 STEEL CLIP FOR HQLDING CGILEDHAIR Robert E. Davis, 812, and Robert E. Davis, Jr., both Southland Sox(30., Fort Payne, Ala. Filed Dec. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 75,841 1 Claim.(Cl. 132-41) This invention relates to a tensioned spring steel clip forholding a coil of hair on a hollow cylinder during treatment of the coilof hair as in the curling thereof.

Many forms of so-called hair curlers have been proposed in the priorart, most of which are overly complex and impractical.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a tensionedspring steel clip universally applicable to the conventional form ofhollow cylindrical member on which strands of hum-an hair are coiled.

It is a more detailed object of the invention to provide a tensionedsteel spring clip formed in a unitary structure and which requires theapplication of manual force flex the clip in application to and removalfrom a hollow cylindrical member on which a strand of hair has beencoiled.

Still more specifically it is a more detailed object of the invention toprovide a tensioned spring steel clip including the thickened portion atone end formed into a hook, a flat bar, coextensive in length with thehollow cylinder .to which the clip is to be applied with the free end ofthe bar, bent in the same direction as the hook, providing an angularlydisposed extension so that the hook and angularly disposed extensionembrace opposite ends of the hollow cylinder to which the clip isapplied with the steel bar so tensioned that any one of a plurality ofteeth carried thereby will be biased into locking with one end of thecylinder wall when the book has been applied to the opposite end of thecylinder wall.

it is also an object of the invention to provide a tensioned springsteel clip for application to a hollow cylindrical member on which astrand of hair has been coiled which may be fabricated from spring steelas a unitary member which may be mass produced with each clipappropriately tensioned and tempered to insure long life and effectiveuse.

Further and additional objects and advantages of the invention willbecome apparent as the description proceeds, which will be given inconnection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view illustrating the spring steel clip of theinvention applied to a conventional hollow cylindrical member.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view showing the cylindrical member incross section with the steel spring clip in one position of adjustmentthereof.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view along the line 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the tensioned steel clip of thepresent invention in the form ready to be applied to a hollowcylindrical member carrying the coil of hair.

Referring to the drawings, the tensioned steel spring clip of thepresent invention is designated generally by the reference character Aand the conventional type of cylindrical member is designated by thereference character B. The tensioned steel spring clip A is provided atits right hand end, as seen in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4, with a substantiallythickened portion 10 which may be achieved in any desired manner such,for example, as .by welding a short section of spring steel to the clipA at the hook end thereof. The thickened portion 10 is bent upon itselfto provide the inwardly extending hook 11 adapted to be fitted over theend 12 or" the wall 13 of the ice hollow cylindrical member B. A flatbar 14, approximately coextensive in length with the cylinder B, has itsfiat face 15 positioned to engage a coil of hair on the cylindricalmember B.

The fiat bar 14 is provided with a right angle twist, as indicated at16, so that beyond the right angle twist #1-6 the bar may be bent toprovide the angular extension i7, having a toothed edge 18 provided withspaced teeth 19 afiacin g the end 20 of the wall 13 of the hollowcylindrical member B. The angularly disposed extension 17 of thetensioned spring steel clip terminates in a projection 21 extending inthe direction away from the end 2% of the hollow cylindrical member B,to which the spring steel clip -A is adapted to be applied.

The spring steel clip A is adapted to be heat treated, tempered andtensioned so that the inner edge 18 of the angular extension 17 carryingthe teeth 19 is at all times biased toward the hook 11. Conventionalhollow cylindrical rollers, such as illustrated at B in the drawings,are usually about 2 inches long and about /8 of an inch in diameter.These dimensions may vary and likewise spring slips embodying thepresent invention may be supplied in varying lengths, each length beingapplied to hollow cylindrical members of corresponding dimension. Thelength of the flat bar 14 determines the length of the hollowcylindrical member, such as B, to which the tensioned steel spring clipA of this invention may be applied.

In use [a strand of hair is coiled upon a hollow cylindrical member suchas B and then clamped on the cylindrical member by the tensioned steelspring clip A by merely applying the hook 1-1 to one end such as 12 ofthe hollow cylindrical member B and imposing a longitudinal manual pullthrough the medium of the projection 21 of the angular extension 17while pressing the flat face 17 of the bar 14 against the coil of hairuntil the desired degree of clamping pressure has been applied when theprojection 21 is released and :the selected tooth 19 is biased intolocking engagement with the end such as 20 of the associated cylindricalmember such as B. The clip cannot he accidentally displaced sincepressure imposed upon the flat bar 14 toward the cylindrical member Bwill only serve to lock the clip more tightly to the cylindrical memher.A positive manual pull through the projection 21 on the angularextension 17 is required to eflect the release of the teeth 19 from theend of the cylindrical member B.

It will be appreciated that the tensioned spring steel clips of thepresent invention can be mass produced, tempered and appropriatelytensioned to provide long life. The tensioned spring steel clip of thepresent invention is applicable to a variety of hollow cylindricalmembers and, of course, may be fabricated and supplied whollyindependently of the hollow cylindrical member.

From the foregoing it will 'be apparent that we have provided a highlyeffective economically producible tensioned steel spring clip forclamping a coil of hair on a cylindrical member.

What we claim is:

A tensioned steel clip for holding a coil of hair on a hollow cylinderduring treatment of said coil, said clip including a flat thickenedportion at one end bent upon itself to form a hook to embrace the wallof the hollow cylinder at one end thereof and a flat bar, integral withsaid hook, coextensive in length with the hollow cylinder to which theclip is to be applied, the free end of said flat bar being twisted atsubstantially a right angle and bent downwardly at substantially a rightangle providing an angularly disposed extension adapted to embrace theopposite end of the hollow cylinder, said extension having in the edgethereof facing the cylinder a plurality of spaced teeth for selectiveengagement with the wall of the 3 4 hollow cylinder, said flat bar beingso tensioned and References Cited in the file of this patent twistedthat any pressure exerted thereon to bias said flat UNITED STATESPATENTS bar toward the hollow cylinder will pivot said extension in adirection to bring any selected tooth into firmer lock- D. 158,698Statter May 23, 1950 ing engagement with the cylinder wall and meansproject- 5 1,678,352 Pearl July 24, 1928 ing from said angular extensionfor applying manual force 2,117,490 Mazzola. May 17, 1938 to flex saidbar to effect engagement and disengagement 2,196,438 Hitz et a1. Apr. 9,1940 of any of said teeth with the wall of the cylinder.

